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| Elvis on stage during his '68 Comeback Special Photo: Elvis, Facebook |
In terms of pure numbers, Elvis is unmatched - according to Guinness World Records, Elvis is the best-selling solo artist of all time, with 1 billion sales worldwide. In March 2022, the RIAA certified that Elvis has sold 146.5 million albums in the U.S. He’s inspired a legion of impersonators, and pretenders to his throne come and go. But Elvis Presley will always be the King.
Baz Luhrman's latest musical, Elvis stars Austin Butler in the title role and Tom Hanks as his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. Elvis received eight Oscar nominations for the 95th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup & Hairstyling, and Best Costume Design.
Timed to coincide with Elvis Week 2023, Reinventing Elvis: The '68 Comeback is premiering on Paramount+ in the U.S. and Canada on Tuesday, August 15 and internationally on August 16. Directed by John Scheinfeld, the documentary is told from the perspective of Emmy Award-winning television director Steve Binder and includes interviews with Elvis experts, conversations with people in the audience and all-new versions of Elvis hits performed by contemporary artists.
With the spotlight once again on the King, Elvis fans can explore his legacy throughout L.A., from a historic recording studio to his favorite restaurants, hotels, and even a spiritual sanctuary near the Pacific Ocean. Read on and discover Elvis Presley’s Los Angeles.
1) GRAMMY MUSEUM AT L.A. LIVE
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| Elvis reads fan letters in his suite at the Warwick Hotel in New York City on Mar. 17, 1956 Photo: Alfred Wertheimer - Elvis, Facebook |
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Opened in December 2008 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the GRAMMY Awards, the GRAMMY Museum at L.A. LIVE is a 30,000 square-foot museum with interactive, permanent and traveling exhibits. Spanning four floors, more than two dozen exhibits explore the history of music, from rock and hip-hop to country, classical, Latin, R&B and jazz.
Elvis has been featured at the GRAMMY Museum in numerous exhibits, panels and screenings, such as "Elvis Presley: The Searcher," "The Music Behind Sun Records," "Elvis at the Movies" and Elvis at 21: Photographs by Alfred Wertheimer.
During his career, Elvis was nominated for 14 GRAMMY Awards. All three of his competitive GRAMMY Award wins were for gospel recordings: How Great Thou Art (1967), He Touched Me (1972) and his live performance of "How Great Thou Art" (1974). He was awarded the Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award at age 36 in 1971.
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2)THE STUDIOS AT PARAMOUNT
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| "King Creole" (1958) | Photo: IMDb |
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Beginning with Love Me Tender in 1956, Elvis starred in 33 feature films, including two concert documentaries. Elvis made several films for Paramount Pictures, ranging from the drama of King Creole (his personal favorite) to lighthearted hits like Blue Hawaii. The Blue Hawaii soundtrack, which spent 20 consecutive weeks at Number One on the Billboard charts, was recorded at the legendary Radio Recorders studio in L.A. (see below).
The two-hour Paramount Pictures Studio Tour offers guests an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at the Paramount legacy and iconic locations on the studio lot. The VIP Studio Tour is an in-depth, 4.5-hour insider’s experience that features even more Hollywood history and magic that’s unavailable to the general public. During the Halloween season, the 2.5-hour After Dark Tour takes visitors into hidden passageways, mysterious alleys, historic theaters and original film vaults.
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3) BOB BAKER MARIONETTE THEATER
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| Elvis sings "Wooden Heart" in "G.I. Blues" (1960) Photo: Paramount Pictures |
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In G.I. Blues (1960), Elvis plays an Army specialist stationed in Frankfurt, Germany with dreams of opening his own nightclub back in the states. During a stroll with local cabaret singer Lili (Juliet Prowse), they come upon a puppet show that's having technical issues. Elvis steps in and serenades a female puppet with "Wooden Heart," which became a #1 hit in the UK. The puppets were created and performed by Bob Baker - they were so realistic, Elvis was reportedly "freaked out" and had to go to his trailer.
Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2023, the Bob Baker Marionette Theater (BBMT) is LA's oldest children's theater company. Smithsonian Magazine notes that BBMT is the longest-running puppet theater in America. Designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 2009, BBMT has entertained more than one million children with original shows ranging from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker to a musical journey through the history of Los Angeles.
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4) CANTER'S DELI
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| Photo by Zabilskiphotography.com, courtesy of Canter's Deli, Facebook |
323-651-2030
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An L.A. favorite since 1931, Canter’s Deli moved to its current location on Fairfax Avenue in 1953. The 24-hour deli is a veritable crossroads of pop culture, where everyone from Elvis to Marilyn Monroe, Cary Grant, Elizabeth Taylor, Muhammad Ali, Led Zeppelin, Prince, Van Halen and many more have noshed. Legendary Tuesday night jam sessions in the deli’s bar, the Kibitz Room, have featured the likes of Slash, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rick James and Joni Mitchell.
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5) FORMOSA CAFÉ
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| Elvis porcelain figurines on display at The Formosa Cafe Photo: Daniel Djang |
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To celebrate its 80th anniversary, The Formosa Cafe reopened in June 2019 after a stunning $2.4 million renovation by the 1933 Group, which has garnered widespread acclaim for its restoration work on high profile projects like Tail o' the Pup, Highland Park Bowl and Idle Hour.
Designated a local cultural resource by the City of West Hollywood, The Formosa Cafe was located just steps from the Pickford-Fairbanks Studios, which was founded in 1919 and later known as United Artists Studio, Samuel Goldwyn Studio, Warner Hollywood Studios, and currently The Lot since 1999. Legendary stars like Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, Humphrey Bogart, and James Dean would pop into The Formosa, adding to its reputation as one of Hollywood's most infamous and longest-running celebrity hangouts.
Longtime Formosa regulars will recognize design elements like the hundreds of black and white celebrity headshots that line the main bar area, and the glass case with Elvis porcelain figurines that were given to former chef and owner, Lem Quon by Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker.
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* Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board 633 West 5th Street, Suite 1800, Los Angeles, CA 90071, USA info@discoverlosangeles.com
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